Flange bender



July 26,1949. H J WALTON 2,477,355

FLANGE BENDER Filed May 7, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS.

July 26, 1949. H. J. WALTON 2,477,355

FLANGE BENDER Filed May 7, 1946 y s Sheets-Sheet 2 v m n m! i ii nug umuu mm INVENTOR. 1

ATTORNEYS.

July 26, 1949.

H. J. WALTON FLANGE BENDER Filed May 7, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented July 26, 1949 E1!) n PAT EN T OFF I v r 2,477,355 a FLANGE BENDER Marry 1L1 Walton, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor of one-hall to HenryT. Bacon, Lansdowne, and

one-half to Leo A. "Sandman, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application May 7, 1946, Serial No."667,9'66

4 Claims. (01. era-49) l i1 My invention relates to "bending mechanism intended for bending down or breaking flanges along lines previously scored in 'blanks.

A main purpose ofthee-inventionis" to provide bending rollers mounted upon arms, which roll ers and arms tilt or rock and thus automatically adjust themselves'to turn flanges'about scored lines, bending thellangeswsufliciently beyond a 90 angle across t-heblank for them to :rest in substantially 190 turned; position with respect to the body of the blank from which they have been turned. v

A further purpose is to support a scored blank, inside the outline of the panels which define the body of the blank and immediately adjacent the scored lines and tolift the supporter lower a bending tool so as notwonly to bend the flange across the planesof thebody, referred'to as a matter of convenience as downwardly, but to bend it inwardly sozas to -break the score and, after release of the bending force to maintain the bent flange substantially in right angle relation tothe planes ofthe adiacent body portion of the blank.

A further purposeistoprovide rollers upon roller cam arms in positionjust outsideof the score lines of a blank whosefiange's are to be bent, and to -move the blank and the rollers relatively to each other, 'while the rollers engage the blank and flange on oppositelsides of ascore line. I thus use the engagements of rollers with the blank inside of the score line as iulcrums to turn the arms so that rollers outside of the score line not only press the flange downwardly but rock it about the fulcrum so to turn the flange in- 1 wardly, bending the flange inwardly at the score beyond the elastic limit so as normally to break the resistance ofthe board at the score to bendthe efior-t and, after release of the pressure, to permit the flange to lienearly at right angles to the adjacent panel uponthe body of the blank or, at least to be fastened inthat position.

The invention relates particularly to the bending of surfaces about compressed score lines but would apply whetherthe scoring be by compression only or include cutting.

Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of a 'blankwhich has been selected for purposes of illustration and which shows not only' a number "of connected panels but a number of flanges alongthe edges of the panels; the several'panels and also the flanges being divided by 's'cdre lines which the material of thebo'ard preferably'has 'beenb'ompressed to a point where reliably it may be bent or brokenand stay bent for "present pui'poses.

Figure 2 is a perspective "View of Figure 1 in which the several flanges have been bent downwardly as a ste in the lrnanufacture or .a folded bo a:- fi'ohr'the blank shown.

"Figure 3 'is 'a perspectiteview Of a box-shell; as

has been contemplated in the tolding of the blank of Figures 1' andrz.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the blank such as that centering about the score lines wheresco'ring between panels ad joins the score lines between flanges and the panels.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan View ornitting structure above the operating tool-s, showing part "of a machine intended to bend flanges about score lines.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section in the best tion located by line =6-'-B of Figure '5, and including structure not seendn Figure 5. The machine is directed to mechanism for bending flanges.

Figures? to 12 are enlarged fragmentary sectiens of one efthetools invented by the shown in difierent relations to the axis of its shaft upon which or with which it turns, and the table or bed support for a blarlhwith respect to which table or "bed it is movable and to the flange or flap which is bent by the tool (in a direction which for convenience is considered to be down).

In the drawings similar numerals indicate like parts.

In making :boxes or cartons such asseen in Figure 3, normally used as beverage containers for so called goods, from heavy fiber board, the fiber board used is quite thick, being or the order of one-fourth to thre'e eighths of an inch in thickness.

With the combressive'scoring its thickness at the bottom or the score approaches two-thirds of its original thicknesaso that bending or break-'- ing downwardly at the score requires considerable strength if it is to be done by hand.

Heretoiore, the bending of the flanges at this point of compression has been done almost ex clusively by hand and has involved excessive labor. It is the purpose of the present invention to perform the bending operation by bending or breaking tnols, which represent elements of a machine for this purpose.

In theblank shown, the central' bottom panel H1 is connected by side panels H, 12 withto'p panels 13 and I4 and flap panels l5 and lb.

Along one edge of the several panels are flanges 11,18, 13, 2D and 21 which are duplicated along the opposite edges of the several panels at H, lBQwI'B', 2fland 21".

The finished'carton is's'eenin Figure 3 and forms a beverage container such as in general rise.

The flanges 11-2! and II'2 I fold downwardly with respect to the blank as seen in Figures 1, "2 and 3 outside the separate end pieces 22 and the flap flanges are turned downwardly into bositions which in the finished box "are para lleltoeachother and parallel to the end for delivery to the bottling trade, the flaps l8, l9 and 20 and l8, l9 and 20 are stitched to the corresponding ends at 25 to stiffen the empty carton, but leaving the half panels and other 1 attached flap flanges free to open, thus permitting the filling of the carton. f

The present invention is applied most advantageously to turning down the flanges I'I-2l or |1'2 I along the edges. These groups of flanges may all be turned down at the same time, not only all along one edge, but coincidentally along the twoedg'es of the blank.

As seen in Figure 4 the scoring displaces the fiber and provides a deep furrow or groove. There is also some compression of the fiber and the distortion is such as to facilitate bending or breaking of the board at the score lines 26 between the panels (and adjacent the flap flanges) and at the score lines 21 between the panels and the flanges.

The compression of the bottom 28 of the furrow causes the outer face of the score to bulge at this point forming adjacent shoulders 29, 29. The shoulder 29 is located on that side of the bulge adjacent the panels, which shoulder is used conveniently as the beginning of the bend.

Because the flanges l1, l8, I9, 20 and 21, and l1, l8, I9, 20 and 2| are intended to be bent down and then to meet in mitered joints as at 30, the individual edges of the joints are mitered as at 3|.

The bending of the flanges at scores 21 is intended to be effected by tools mounted to swing about the axes of the shafts 3B and 31 seen in Figures and 6 and is accomplished by cooperating'rollers 32, 33 mounted upon roller arms 34, 35, which are mounted upon shafts 36, 31 by means of preferably integral hubs or bosses 38 on arms 3 35. It is relatively immaterial whether the arms swing with the shafts or about them. They swing together. The shafts rest in bearings or fixed supports in the form of webbed brackets 39 attached to frame members 43. The frame membersare shown in Figures 5 and 6 as comprising any convenient vertical standards 4| and transverse ties 42. The character of the support, though convenient and valuable from the standpoint of being sufiiciently rigid for the purpose, and convenience of manufacture, is relatively a detail, the important feature of the support being that the rollers are free to swing together about an axis in position with respect to the blank and flange to perform their function of rolling the flange first transversely to the blank shown as down and then under to properly bend the scored material at the score and to follow the bend through sufliciently beyond the perpendicular so as to adapt the flange to use ultimately in rightangle-bend position.

In Figures 5 and 6 just enough of a machine is shown to permit power application to the relative movement of operating tools and a table 43 upon which the blank is supported.

: In the largely diagrammatic showing of the machine, the power is applied through a shaft 44 and a cam 45, which latter operates a lifting lever 46 connected through a shaft 41 with an operating arm 48. The shaft ,4! is suitably supported at 49. The operating arm is connected by a link 50 with pin 5| in a plunger 52 operating in guide 53 and supporting the table, lifting it or permitting it to lower when the arm moves. The plunger and guide may be of any form--such as a pair of telescopic members, for example, which will maintain theparts'inline during their rela- 5 tive movements. I --In order to avoid improper movement of the remainder of the blank during the relative work- 'ing movements of the table and the tools, the blank is resiliently held against the table by pressure retainers or keepers 54 carried by plungers 55 pressed downwardly by springs 56 but capable of resiliently yielding upwardly through guides 51.

In Figures 5 and 6, two tools, each with operating arms and rollers are shown on each side of the structure, being intended to be a partial illustration onlyaof operating tools which willbe located at intervals along the lengths of the several shafts and as'so located will be effective to bend or break about the scores 21 only. 20 It will be understood that for any bending or breaking of the scores at right angles to'these scores 21 which it may be desirable to effect by machine, corresponding shafts, arms and rollers will be provided. Illustration of' these mecha nisms is considered not to be necessary since the character of structure needed for that announced purpose would be obvious.

In operation, with the parts starting in the position seen in Figure 7 and moving relatively,

the table up or the tool down, or both, and, for convenience, considering the arms and rollers 33 which are in upper position as the upper arm and roller, the roller 32 would normally strike the flange firstthough either order of striking as may be used. If roller 32 strikes first, as in Figure 7, roller 32 carries the flange downwardly with it to some such position as that in Figure 8.

With further movement, the roller 33 comes into engagement with the blank at some such point as 59 near the edge of the panel (i. e. with the body of the blank), after which the tool is rocked by the roller 33 and, relatively, the tool turns, or continues its turn in counterclockwise direction. Since the roller 33 is relatively below the axis 58 of the shaft 36 this counterclockwise movement of the tool causes the roller 32 to move relatively inwardly, that is, to the right in Figure 7 to a point at which the line between the axis of the roller 33 and the axis of the shaft is horizontal, after which with further counterclockwise swinging movement, the roller 33 moves outwardly toward the score.

Since the line between the axis of the roller 32 and the axis of the shaft 36 is nearly vertical, the arm 34 will swing inwardly to the right in Figures 7 and 8 and to almost the same extent throughout the movement whether the roller 33 be slightly below, on'a line with, or slightly above the line between the axis of the roller 33 and the axis of the shaft 36 as the angles are small. With continued movement between the parts, the arm 34 and the roller 32 will continue to move to the right causing the flange to be turned to the right slightly beyond the perpendicular and to an acute angle position with respect to the horizontal, depending upon the extent to which it is desired to bend the flange below the panel and beyond the right-angular position.

In Figures 10, 11 and 12 the same tool is used as in'Figures '7, 8 and 9 but with a different spacing laterally between vertical lines through the edge of the table and the adjacent shaft 36 or 31 of the tool; with the result that whereas in the bending operation shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9 75 the shaft at all times is spaced laterally from the table, in Figures 10, 11 and 12, the shaft is nearly in line with the table edge and in these later figures there is a shorter vertical stroke between the tool and the table.

In Figure the rollers 32 and 33 meet the blank at equal heights, the roller 32 engaging the flange and the roller 33 engaging the body of the blank on the other side of the score line at the same time. The roller 33 moves to the right in Figures 10 to 12 inclusive, rolling over the body of the blank, and this action tilts the tool, which swings about the axis of shaft 36 under the rocking action of roller 33 due to its pressure against the body of the blank.

The purpose of showing both series of Figures 7-9 and 10-12 has been to indicate that the tool is capable of operation in various ways. Where it is intended to have the tool meet the blank in a canted position as in Figure 7, engaging the flange first, the tool will be biased to the position seen in Figure '7, which may be done by giving a slightly greater weight to the side of the tool carrying the roller 32 than to the side, carrying the roller 33 or by use of a spring 60 mounted upon adjacent fixed structure to give the tool a resilient set toward the position seen in Figure '7.

The rollers are preferably relatively short as seen in Figure 5, and are applied at intervals along the length of the flanges short enough to avoid distortion of the flanges. For example, two rollers ordinarily will be suficient for each flange, spaced along the length of the flange.

It will be evident that in Figures 10, 11 and 12 the difference in lateral spacing of the axis of shaft 36 with respect to the edge of the table as compared with Figures 7-9 affects the relative vertical movements of the parts and also the required angular movement of the tool about the axis of the shaft as compared with the vertical movement and angular movement in the form shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9 but that in neither event can the tool come down below or come in beyond the point where the arm or the arm 34 will engage the blank.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A flange bending tool comprising a hub, a pair of arms mounted upon the hub and extending angularly from the hub at different angles, so that the arms are spaced circumferentially of the hub, rollers upon the outer ends of the arms, a shaft for the hub and a support for the shaft, the arms operating to turn angularly about the axis of the shaft, in proportion to pressure transverse to the shaft, means for supporting a blank having a body adjacent to the shaft and positioning a flange on the blank in the path of one of the rollers and the body of the blank in the path of the other roller, the arms extending respectively toward the flange of the blank and toward the blank body, and means for relatively moving the shaft and the means for supporting the blank transversely to the plane of the face of the blank.

2. A shaft, a table having an edge parallel to the shaft adapted to support a blank adjacent to and having an edge parallel to the shaft, means for relatively translating the shaft and table, one with respect to the other, transversely of the face of the table and to the axis of the shaft, the paths of relative movement of the table and the shaft being such that the shaft lies outside of the table, a pair of connected arms supported by the shaft and adapted to swing with respect to the axis of the shaft and rollers upon the arms, located and maintained one in the line of movement with the table adjacent the table edge and the other outside of the line of movement of the table, whereby the roller on the arm within the path of relative movement of the table with respect to the arm makes engagement with the blank, causing movement of the other arm starting outside the path of movement of the table, past the table, and concluding the movement with the rocker engagement roller at a point farther from the edge of the table than the point at which it first acted as a fulcrum and the second roller nearer the edge of the table than the point at which it has first engaged the flange of the blank.

3. In a mechanism for breaking blanks along score lines between the body of a blank and a flange of the blank, a table adapted to support the blank body with the score line and flange of the blank extending beyond the edge of the table, a bracket, a bracket-supported tool having angularly spaced arms adapted to swing about an axis, rollers for said arms, one roller initially opposite the body of the blank and a second roller initially opposite the flange of a blank, and means for relatively translating the table and the tool, one with respect to the other, transversely with respect to the surface of the blank, the position and line of movement being such that a score line lies between the two rollers, whereby the first roller, on the body side of the score line, in the line of movement, engages the body of the blank while the second (outer) roller engages a flange of the blank and swings inwardly with respect to the score line to a position where it lies inside the score line toward the body of the blank.

4. In a flange bending mechanism, a shaft support, a shaft rockably mounted on the support, a tool movable about the axis of the shaft and having spaced terminals, a table movable with respect to the shaft and having an edge substantially parallel with the shaft and in the line of movement located between the terminals, the table being adapted to support a blank having a flange which extends beyond the edge in the line of movement of one of the terminals and resilient means for biasing the tool so that one terminal will engage with a blank upon the table earlier than the engagement of the other terminal with said blank.

HARRY J. WALTON.

REFERENCES CITED Name Date Robinson Nov. 21, 1916 Number 

